The Pieces of the Sky
by IMFOR6IVEN
Summary: The gods have fallen. Olympus is lost. New York has been swallowed by The Jungle. Gaea is rising. All hope is gone.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is my first fan-fiction story that I am posting on the web. If you are not familiar with the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, I do not suggest you read this file. This is the first chapter which will hopefully be followed by more. I do encourage and appreciate feedback. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter One -Peyton-

I stood at the edge of an immense jungle, not daring to take another step. Giant trees loomed at its edge, effectively sealing the depths of the jungle from curious eyes. The forest eventually rolled into majestic mountains, which dominated the horizon. A deep mist hung in the air, its tendrils swirling around my arms and legs. The very ground around my feet was humming, as if the very earth itself had a heartbeat. It was _her_ presence; _her_ power.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what the horizon would've looked like a couple of years back…I could picture large skyscrapers reaching into the dank city air. Horns were blaring, people were talking, feet were shuffling; it was the hum of a giant metropolis. This was when New York was a city, not a jungle.

I opened my eyes. The eerie quiet and the timeless forest returned. In the distance you could still make out the remains of what might have been buildings. Now they had been completely devoured by the jungle. "_I will purge the Earth of its impurities and begin the world anew", _the voice had promised. "_A new age will begin and your kind will be no more". _

I shuddered, recounting a dream that had spooked me a few days ago. It was one of those dreams that had felt real, and for all I know, it could have been. Demigods' dreams are never just dreams. They are always omens, prophecies, glimpses into the future, or take you on a magic carpet ride to show you things that could be happening clear across the globe.

"Hey, Peyton", a voice piped from behind. "Your shift's over. It's my turn!" I turned to see Jack awkwardly jogging towards me decked out in full armor. His armor clanked around like it was three sizes too big; the poor kid looked like he was an undersized football player ready to be toppled. Jack was one of those people that always seemed to be in a good mood and couldn't sit still, even if his shift started at two in the morning. His sword gleamed in the dim moonlight, looking freshly polished and sharpened.

"Hey, bud. Is it two already?"

"Yeah, and it's my turn!" He responded with a wide grin.

I couldn't help but smile. Jack's enthusiasm never seemed to crack. Where he found the urge to always find something to smile about, I'll never know. Jack and I were pretty much brothers. I've always felt a natural instinct to protect him, to look after him. "Cool", I responded with a dry smile. "Take it easy, ok?" I shoved his helmet playfully, but it took the poor guy off guard and he hobbled back a few feet, his sword falling off and clattering to the ground in the process.

"Ok! And, uh, you too!"

One of the only buildings still standing loomed in front of me: The Empire State Building. The surrounding forest made it look completely out of place, and the building itself looked as it had seen better days. Half of the windows were shattered, there were gaping holes on some floors, and the building was even scorched from Greek fire in some places. For the past couple of months it had served as our base of operations; not like there was much of a choice. The Empire State Building was once the entrance to Mount Olympus, the home of the gods; at least that's what I was told. I never got the chance to see it for myself before it was destroyed.

The lobby served as a temporary medical clinic for the wounded. Make-shift beds were sprawled across the floor. Apollo kids ran this way and that, tending to as many as they could, splinting broken bones and reciting ancient hymns to heal the injured. It was a pretty depressing scene overall. I even passed a couple of kids wrapped head-to-toe in gauze. I didn't know who they were and I didn't want to find out.

I found the nearest unoccupied couch and crashed. Sleep came easily despite the things I've gone through. I was out in record time.

I was floating somewhere high above the forest. The mist was especially thick here, shielding the forest floor in a blanket of fog. High mountains rose in the distance, with several beautiful waterfalls cascading down the mountain faces. Even in the dream, I could feel _her_ power radiating. It's ironic how someone with such evil intentions could be the mastermind of something so beautiful. I drifted closer towards the mountains, already dreading what this dream was showing me. I had a bad feeling about this. My dream drove me straight through the highest peak of the mountain range. I was in complete and utter darkness.

It felt like my ribs were being torn apart piece by piece as I descended through the mountain. It was complete agony. I had never felt pain like this before, and it was only a dream. To make matters worse, I felt like my body was falling through syrup. I was on a slow one way ride to pain. As I sank further into the depths of the peak, I felt like the mountain was crushing the air right out of my lungs. I can't describe the pain I was enduring. It was as if I was really there, forced to experience the feeling of the Earth crushing my chest firsthand.

_If you continue this hopeless battle, you will experience a pain far greater than this_, a voice called out from the dark depths. The voice was soft, but at the same time it was deafening, if that makes any sense. The feminine voice was heavy with power; just that simple sentence almost turned my mind into mush. _My son will rise once more and complete the job he started. The human race, demigods and pathetic mortals alike will be annihilated. Give up this pointless rebellion and your lives may be spared. Otherwise, you will be utterly crushed._ The invisible force constricted my ribs, causing me to cry out. My lungs felt like they were filling with molten lead. I couldn't respond, but I nodded weakly in the darkness. The pain receded, and I slipped away, drifting off into the unknown.

-Jack-

Everything always has to happen to me. If Peyton had just stayed outside a minute longer, I wouldn't have been involved, but there I was, as usual, standing in awkwardly in my oversized armor. The mist began to swirl madly, churning and swirling in the windless morning air. More and more of the stuff began piling up, effectively closing me in.

I turned around. "Peyton? Hello?" It was already too late. He was gone and so was everything else. A wall of fog surrounded me in all directions. I doubted I could even make my way back to the Empire State Building without getting lost, even if it was only yards away. I wouldn't want to risk accidentally wondering into the forest, so I decided to stay put.

A raspy hiss cut through the fog. The mist began to slowly coil around me, like a patient snake waiting to capture its prey. The wall of fog began to change into a sour green color. I started to gag, not knowing if it was even safe to breathe. For all I knew, this could be a trap sprung by Gaea herself. There was a chilling presence hanging around in the air that sent shivers down my spine. I drew my sword, hoping the feeling of the blade in my hand would give me some kind of courage.

A bright green light shone through the fog. Was someone else here? Was this the trap? I shakily held out my blade, gripping the handle so hard I'm sure my knuckles were white. "Approach, seeker, and ask", a chilling voice hissed. It seemed to come from the direction of the light. I cautiously drew closer, my fear urging me to stop. As I drew closer, I could make an outline of someone standing a couple feet away.

I held out my sword and weakly whimpered, "Who's there?" The emerald fog abruptly parted revealing a girl. Long red hair curled around both of her shoulders. Fresh dirt coated her pale white skin and her clothes were in tatters, so it was safe to say she hadn't exactly been living in a life of luxury. Two bright beams of green shone from her eye sockets like headlights.

"Approach, seeker, and ask", she rasped. If snakes could talk, I imagined they would probably sound something like her voice.

"Ask what? What do you want me to ask?"

The girl doubled over as if someone punched her in the stomach, and then collapsed on the ground. The freaky lights shining from her eyes died down, and the unnatural fog began to part as quickly as it had come, leaving me alone with the girl.

-Peyton-

I sat upright and alert, gulping in air as fast as my body would allow. The pain was gone. No broken ribs or damaged lungs. Not even a single scratch. Gaea had given me a message to deliver. She demanded total surrender in exchange for an opportunity to live. We had been fighting the forces of Gaea successfully for several months now. If she was capable of crushing us, why not do it as soon as possible? Maybe her power wasn't near as great as it is now. She had been slumbering for eons and now has come close to awakening from her slumber. We've been doing all that's in our power to make sure that doesn't happen. The most ancient goddess of all is merciless and pure evil. Her rise would mean game over. Period.

"Nightmare, huh? Well then again, not really a nightmare, but you'll come to see it eventually."

I turned to see a dude sitting on the arm of my couch. He wasn't too much older than me, maybe nineteen or twenty, with hair that shined like the sun itself. He wore expensive looking Ray-Bands and grinned at me while strumming a flaming lyre, as if this were all normal. I squinted as if he weren't really there. "Apollo? What are you doing here?"

The sun god shrugged indifferently. "Same as you I guess. I came here to sleep, to perhaps see a glimpse of the future."

A lump formed in my stomach. "Did you see anything?"

He frowned and set down his lyre, which sputtered into smoky wisps. "I don't know. It was clouded from me. It was probably Gaea's doing."

He then concentrated and then flaming lyre reappeared in his hands. He strummed a few cords, and then frowned again, resuming his tuning. "Gaea's doing?"

"Yes. She has completely sealed off the future. She has already taken my beloved Oracle, and now she's even clouding dreams. She's a tricky one, that Gaea." He talked about Gaea as if they were old pals playing pranks on one another, which irritated me.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you shouldn't be here. You should be with the other Olympians on the second floor–"

Apollo struck a sour note that reverberated in the air annoyingly. "Come on now, Peyton. You should know by now that gods can exist in many different places at once. We can't be confined in a single area–" Apollo's formed flickered like a hologram and in his place sat an entirely different looking form. This form was sterner looking. He wore golden robes that shimmered like the sun. A laurel crown rested on his neat golden hair; he even looked older. "–but technically I'm still on the second floor. But never mind that. I came here to speak to you about your dreams," he continued, as if nothing had happened. My blood froze. I looked around, making sure that no nearby injured demigods were eavesdropping. "Don't worry about them. As far as they're concerned, you're still sleeping. A conversation like this needs to be kept private."

I glanced around. Sure enough, no one was paying attention to Apollo or me. A couple of demigods were milling around, adjusting their armor or messing around with their weapons. Other than that, they showed no signs of letting on. "So does this mean I'm still dreaming?"

"An interesting question", Apollo mused, "but not important. What I came here to say is–" Apollo stopped in mid-sentence. "I'll take this as my queue to leave. Until next time, Peyton." He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a curtain of golden light.

When the flash died down, Jack was hovering over me dressed in his armor, widely shaking my shoulders. "Peyton! Peyton!"

It took me a little while to gather my senses to respond. "What?" I snapped a little ruder than I should have.

"You have to get up! I found someone!"


	2. Chapter 2

I pulled up a chair and joined the others at the table. Our little council was formed from the five oldest people in our loose army of demigods: Taylor, Kyle, Kym, Matthew, and me. At the time it made the most sense; electing the five oldest to be the unofficial leaders wasn't a bad idea. The rest of them looked drained. Matthew, son of Hypnos, was already asleep. By the looks of it, Taylor and Kyle weren't far behind. The only person who actually looked like she was awake and ready to go was Kym. She was intently focused on a dirty pale girl passed out on a nearby couch. "So why are we all up?" I yawned.

"I was wondering the same thing," growled Kyle. Kyle was a son of Ares, who lived to kill monsters with his bare hands. He was a monster of a guy who led our loose army of rebels to victory countless times. If there was one person that I had grown to respect, it was Kyle. He was probably the most level-headed of his siblings. He listens to reason and doesn't act on impulse like most of us.

"We're here of because of what Jack found," Kym said flatly, simultaneously giving both Kyle and I a chilling glare.

I took another look at the girl passed out on the sofa. She lay motionless, her red hair dangling over the side of the couch. What was so special about her?

"You mean you woke us up for that_ thing_?" Taylor complained. Taylor was a daughter of Venus, who always made an effort to look her best, even if it happened to be right before a battle. Her brown hair was perfectly curled and her clothes were color coordinated and ironed. I wouldn't have been surprised if she told us she slept that way.

Kym rolled her eyes. "You mean you don't know who this is?"

We each answered her with vacant stares.

She took a deep sigh. "Guys, this person right here is a sign from my father. This person is Rachael Dare, the last known Oracle at Camp Half-Blood."

Kyle gave Kym a puzzled look. "Uh…"

Kym sighed. "The Oracle is an ordinary mortal that hosts the spirit of Delphi, the speaker of prophecies. Traditionally before going on quests, demigods would consult the Oracle for guidance." Kym motioned towards Rachael. "Rachael here is the current Oracle."

Kyle apparently took offense. "Well how do you expect us to know that? Not all of us were pampered at Camp Half-Blood like you." It was true. Both Kyle and I had made our way here and had each survived on our own willpower and skill alone. And Taylor had come from a different camp altogether, where a thought like this was foreign to her. As far as I knew, both Matthew and Kym came from Camp Half-Blood.

Kym shook her head. "That's not the point. The point is she is a sign. Something big is going to happen. Coincidences like this don't just happen like this. Not to us." We all nodded in agreement. Coincidences happen to normal humans, not demigods. When things like this happen, it's because of some god is messing around with you, and I had a feeling I knew which one.

"Where did she come from anyway?" I was surprised to hear Matthew's voice enter our conversation. Even Kym looked surprised. He usually slept through these meetings. Despite spending the majority of his time sleeping, Matthew was one of the smartest people I knew. When he didn't spend his time sleeping during these meetings, he was actually very helpful. We all gave him blank stares. "What? I couldn't sleep with all of the yelling so I decided I would pitch in."

"Jack found her outside wandering around in the fog", Kym finally answered.

"She's been missing ever since Camp Half-Blood was destroyed, and all of the sudden she just pops up wandering around here at a time like this? Where was she?"

"She was taken by Gaea", I answered.

"And how do you know that?" questioned Kym.

I remembered Apollo had told me that Gaea had taken his beloved oracle from him and almost said something about that before I recalled he told me to keep our conversation private. Besides, I didn't think that Kym would fancy the idea of her dad going out of his way to talk to me. "It makes sense. How else could she have gotten all the way here?"

Matthew shrugged. "It would explain where she went. She would also be more useful to Gaea alive than dead."

"I guess, but we'll never know for sure. We can't ask her about it", Kym said.

"Why not?" I demanded.

"Jack said he found her collapsed at his feet. I took a look at her and…well, she barely even had a pulse. She was barely breathing and I couldn't get her to talk to me. I think…she might be in a coma."

We all grew silent. "Well that sucks," Kyle said, which pretty much summed it all up. "Not to mention she can't even help us now."

"That's not true," Kym shot back. "Sure, her body may be in a coma, but the spirit of Delphi locked inside her is what spouts the prophecies. So technically–"

"She can still do her job, even in the coma," I finished.

"Really?" Matthew asked.

Kym shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but it's worth a shot."

We all slowly got up and hovered over Rachael, expecting a show to happen at any moment.

"So what do we do?" I asked.

"Well, I've never asked myself, but I've seen it in action before a couple of years ago. It's pretty simple; all you have to do is ask the Oracle a question and she will hopefully respond."

"Hopefully?" I questioned.

"Well, it doesn't always work. The oracle will only respond to those it chooses."

Kym stepped forward and gave it a shot. "Oh, oracle, host of the spirit of Delphi", she awkwardly chanted. I snickered and she shot me a quick look and continued. "What must we do to defeat Gaea?"

We all stood in silence, waiting for the mysterious magic to begin. Nothing happened; no useful prophecies or anything remotely unusual was said. Rachael just lay there motionless, as if ignoring the question all together.

"Well what happens now?" Kyle asked.

"Demigods! I will not come here un-greeted! Come and face me!" A thunderous voice boomed. The monstrous voice rattled the windows, and a couple of screams rang from the lobby. "Come out to play!" It taunted.

A huge crash shook the entire building. Glass shattered and dry wall rained from the ceiling. All five of us ran into the lobby, catching a flash of yellow thunder through the building. When the dust settled, you could tell that it was once a New York City cab. All of its windows were shattered and its tires were flat. The once lively yellow color was faded by the elements. Through the gaping hole in the wall we could make out something enormous looming over our building. "Face me!" the voice once again bellowed.

Kyle drew his sword and rallied the scurrying demigods. "Prepare for battle!" he announced.

-Jack-

I could barely hear their muffled voices from the curtain I was hiding behind. I wasn't able to hear everything they were saying, but I got the gist of their conversation. I thought I heard Kym talk about Rachael being something called an oracle that could predict the future. Pretty neat if you ask me.

"Well, I've never asked myself, but I've seen it in action before a couple of years ago. It's pretty simple; all you have to do is ask the Oracle a question and she will hopefully respond." I heard Kym say. That sounded eerily familiar. I recalled what the red-headed girl hissed: _Approach, seeker, and ask._

"Hopefully?"

"Well, it doesn't always work. The oracle will only respond to those it chooses."

I listened as I heard Kym mutter something to the red headed girl, probably asking her a question. I knew it wouldn't work; if what Kym said was true, then that Oracle wouldn't be talking to anyone except me.

A huge crash rocked the building. I could hear the ceiling groan and crackle from the huge blast. Five pairs of sneakers immediately thudded past my hiding place and into the lobby, leaving me alone. Well, not completely alone. I peeked out from the curtain and made sure the coast was clear before leaving. The red headed girl (what was her name? Rachael?) was crashed on the sofa, her eyes closed and breathing very slowly. I hesitated approaching her, remembering her bright shining green eyes and her chilling snake like voice. As if on cue, the girl stirred in her sleep at the presence of my approach. _Here it comes_, I thought.

She suddenly shot straight up in her seat, as if struck by lightning. The chilling presence that I remembered from our first encounter returned. Her eyes opened, and the eerie green beams shone against the walls in the dim room. Rachael slowly turned her head until she was unmistakably glaring at me. "Approach, seeker, and ask," she recited. A green fog like substance trickled from her mouth, veiling the floor with the stuff. This time, I was prepared; I knew what it was I had to do.

I swallowed down my fear and continued. "What do we do?"

At first, the Oracle remained motionless, as if my question didn't compute. Then, her unearthly snake way of talking rasped:

_In the forest three shall dwell, _

_and raise the sky which has fell. _

_The restless earth lulled to sleep, _

_the pieces united from the deep. _

_A grudge of eons meets an end,_

_only if one's soul will lend._

-Peyton-

We all gathered outside of the entrance dressed in a weird mish-mash of pajamas and armor to see what all the commotion was about. Outside, a giant spear was jammed into the ground, with a white cloth tied to the top of the shaft. It was a make-shift truce flag. That wasn't what all that commotion was about; with one hand gripping the spear was the humanoid giant Porphyrion himself, looming over our group of assembled demigods. His terrible green dreadlocks laced with spears and bones alike draped over his massive shoulders. He bore a terrible grin, baring teeth that were made for grinding bones.

"Hello, demigods!" The giant boomed. His very voice rattled our armor. "I come in peace to bring words from the Earth Mother!" We all stood still, staring at the face of terror in his milky white eyes, waiting for him to finish. "Gaea offers you peace! Surrender this silly fight and keep your pathetic lives. Or risk feeling her wrath like the others."

I looked around, making eye contact with some of the others. I didn't like the sound of that. We shifted uneasily in our armor, no one sure what to say. "Why offer peace?" a voice questioned. I glanced over to see Kyle step forward, sword drawn, staring down the giant with an intimidating glare of his own.

The giant wrinkled its nose in distaste. "A son of Ares? Yes, I can smell that retched stench. The Earth Mother offers leniency in order to bring this matter to a quick close. The gods are almost finished and you pesky demigods are delaying her plans. Surrender now and you will be spared a terrible fate. If not…" The giant let out a blood curdling laugh to emphasize his point. "If not, you will have the pleasure of meeting another one of my brothers!"

"Big deal!" Kyle shouted. "It isn't the first time we've faced one of your brothers, and we tore him apart!" Our crowd chattered in agreement, nodding and backing Kyle up. I shuddered, remembering the Giant that killed half of our army and pretty much sent the other half to our make-shift infirmary.

Porphyrion gave another one of his laughs. "It is true, but this brother is unlike any other. Maybe some of you have lived long enough to have seen my older brother, but I doubt you will be eager to meet him again. I humbly admit he is more chaotic than I!"

We all shifted around in our armor uneasily, some of us more clear shaken than others. The Giants were already some pretty bad dudes, especially since they couldn't be killed by demigods alone. The king of the Giants, Porphyrion here, was especially tough. He was considered to be the bane of Zeus, the king of the gods. Fighting one of the giants was pretty much considered suicide. Fighting something even worse…how was that even possible?

Kyle noticed the mood of our crowd had shifted drastically so he wisely attempted to boost our morale. "We don't care how powerful your brother is! Together, we will tear him apart!"

Porphyrion gave us a dark grin, bearing his yellowed shovel-sized teeth. "You should be concerned! Your very own pathetic gods ran from him. I may be Zeus's bane but my older brother is the bane of the gods! He is the mighty Typhon!"

A couple of shrieks and gasps traveled though our group. Kym made a choking sound right next to me. Her face grew very pale, and I thought she was going to faint on the spot. Still others looked around, confused and unsure, not knowing what to think. I searched my mind in what little Greek/ Roman mythology I knew. The name Typhon wasn't ringing any bells. Kym's reaction was enough for me to gather that whoever Typhon was, he must've been pretty bad. Porphyrion actually giggled with amusement, reveling in our terror.

Kyle set his jaw, determined not to back down. I was pretty sure he didn't have any idea who Typhon was either, but he was smart enough to gather from our reactions that it couldn't have been good. "You're bluffing."

Porphyrion waved a giant finger. "I bluff-you-not puny demigod. My brother will be here soon, and finish off the rest of you and your weakened gods. My mother has reawakened the storm giant, who has a score to settle with the Olympians. There is no stopping my older brother's wrath…unless of course you choose to surrender."

All at once chaos broke loose. Some sat down on the ground hard, huddling their heads into their knees. Others even took off and ran past Porphyrion and into the woods. I even saw a couple of kids hurling. I thought back to my dream._ Give up this pointless rebellion and your lives may be spared. Otherwise, you will be utterly crushed_, she had said. I guess this was how she was going to do it. She was offering us an omen: surrender or be completely annihilated.

Kyle took a moment and watched the hysteria, watching his hopes falling around his shoulders.

Porphyrion chuckled. He let out a deep bellow that resounded through the surrounding forest. "I will leave you with this final word. Surrender, or be completely destroyed. That is my mother Gaea's message." He turned his large and milky white reptilian eyes on me. I froze, and tried my best to keep eye contact with the monster. "Just ask Peyton. He knows."

He plucked his giant make-shift truce flag from the ground and sank into the earth, leaving us with a final evil cackle.


	3. Chapter 3

We returned inside just in time to see Jack cradling Rachael. "What does that mean?" he yelled, shaking her shoulders.

I ran over to him and yanked him off of her, sending him sprawling onto the carpet floor. "Just what do you think you're doing?" I snarled. Porphyrion had already managed to set me on edge and Jack had just managed to push me over.

He crawled back and stumbled onto his feet. His eyes were wild and frantic, as if he'd been spooked. "She just spoke one of those prophecy thingies!"

I turned and looked at Kym, who was studying Jack intently. "What did she say?" asked Kym.

I could tell Jack's mind was overdrive. "I overheard you guys talking about the Oracle. Since she didn't answer you, I thought I'd give it a shot."

"What did she say, Jack?" Kym pressed.

"I –she said a prophecy. She said 'three shall dwell in the forest, and lift up the sky which has fallen', or something like that, but I think it rhymed. She also said something about pieces coming together and putting the earth to sleep or something like that."

"What did you ask her?"

Tears began to well in his hazel eyes. "I just asked her what we needed to do."

Kym turned back towards the four of us. "This isn't good."

"Yeah, no kidding. I don't like the idea of anyone going into the forest," Matthew said.

"The power to put the earth to sleep", mused Kyle. "Sounds just like the type of weapon we need to win this war. I say we do it."

"We don't have a choice, anyway", Kym said miserably.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked.

"The Oracle has the power to tell the future", Matthew cut in. "Terrible things happen to those who try to change what has already been foreseen."

"So in other words, we'd be worse off ignoring what the prophecy says," I summarized.

Kym and Matthew nodded.

"So that leaves just one question", Kyle said. "Who goes and who stays?"

We each eyed each other wearily. We each had an unspoken connection. We knew those who dared to venture in her domain didn't come back alive. What lies in the forest was a mystery to us all, and none of us were eager to tackle this task head on. Kyle's and my eyes met. We both knew that when it came to survival, we were the best options. Both of us have had our fair share of living in the wild over the years. There was no question one of us would be going. Then there was Kym, who was wise and talented enough to easily compete with the Athena kids; not to mention she was also a fierce fighter. She would also be a valuable addition to a quest. Although it might've been my imagination, I thought I saw Taylor relax a bit. A daughter of Venus going commando in the woods? Not likely. Matthew also had good reason to stay out of this as well. Although he might've been smart, he was no fighter. The choices were clear.

"Why don't we leave it up to Jack?" asked Kym.

Jack looked speechless. "What? Why me?"

"It's your quest, Jack. The Oracle responded to you." Kym answered solemnly.

"You can't be serious, Kym", I argued. "You can't make him do this! I won't let you!" Anger began to flare inside me. The idea of sending Jack out there would be suicide. I wouldn't just stand by and watch someone who was practically like a little brother march off on some crazy quest just to get him killed. It just wasn't worth it.

"It's not my decision to make. I don't like this any better than you do, but remember what you said earlier? We would be worse off ignoring the prophecy. Jack has to do this, whether he likes it or not."

Jack dropped down to the floor, the weight of Kym's words finally taking effect. The poor kid was only twelve years old. He wasn't ready for something like this.

"Well then I'll volunteer to go", I announced. Jack looked up at me, his eyes streaming tears down his cheeks. The other four studied me, as if calculating my chances of surviving a quest like this. I placed a hand on Jack's shoulder and looked him square in the eyes. "I will always be there for you Jack, no matter what trouble you find yourself in."

Kyle shot me an uncertain look, and I could tell he was still thinking on Porphyrion's last words. _Just ask Peyton. He knows._ That probably wasn't sitting too well with him, but if it bothered him, he wasn't saying anything.

To my amazement, Kym knelt down beside him placing a soothing hand in his wild brown hair. "Jack, you're not alone in this. Just say the word, and I'll come, too."

Jack wrapped his arms around both of our shoulders, sobbing quietly to himself. We stayed that way for a moment, nothing else mattering but being there for Jack.

"So it's decided, then", Kyle finally said. "Kym, Peyton, and Jack will leave first thing tomorrow morning. It's best that you guys take as much time as you can to prepare."

Without saying a word, Jack rose and slowly walked away, heading for the stairs. I tried to follow but Kym placed a hand on my shoulder. I got the message; I needed to give him a little space to calm down and think things through. Things were happening a little too fast for him. If he was pushed too hard, he might crack.

"He'll be fine", Kym tried to reassure me. "He just needs his space."

"I know", I said softly. "I know."

-Kym-

Bow? Check. Quiver? Check. Basic medicinal supplies? Check. Ambrosia and Nectar for emergencies? Check. My mind felt like it was working on overdrive, calculating every possible thing we might need for a quest as insane as this.

I took a moment and gazed out my window. The usual thick fog veiled the forest beyond from curious eyes; its surprises remained a mystery. We had to go in there; where no one except Rachael had come back alive–and now she was in a coma. I shuddered, trying to shake off the thought. Truthfully, I'd rather take my chances in there rather than waiting for Typhon to come knocking on the lobby door.

I sighed, tucking my red curls behind my ears. There was too much to do in so little time. I couldn't spend too much time fretting over this quest because I had other responsibilities. I had to help my half-brothers and sisters heal the wounded downstairs, which believe me, is easier said than done. I remember Apollo once telling me that I got one hundred percent of my work ethic from my mom, who used to be a doctor at New York General. That's how they'd met, with my dad Apollo being the god of medicine.

Thinking of my dad reminded me of our last conversation. It was on the day I actually first met Peyton, which was only a month or two ago. Apollo had come and spoke to me directly. I knew something was wrong the second he strode into the door. At first it was strange seeing him face to face like that. It was the first time I had ever seen him. I knew the gods were in one of the larger offices on my floor, but I'd never thought that he would've actually come to visit me in person. I remembered thinking it was strange calling a twenty-two year-old looking guy my father.

"Dad?" I asked, not believing my eyes. "What are you–"

"Yes, yes. No time for formalities now, Kym. I needed to talk to you."

"Uh, sure." I frantically laced my fingers through my hair and patted out the wrinkles in my clothes, wanting to look somewhat presentable in front of my dad.

"I need to talk to you about the boy you just met. I believe Peyton is his name."

I thought back to the boy that wondered in the Empire State Building claiming he had been hiding out in a building nearby, thinking he was the only one left. Apparently he fled because he claimed the forest had attacked his building, beginning to swallow it whole. It wasn't the first report we'd had of something like that happening. I remember tending to his wounds and listening to his stories on how he had survived on his own and made his way here trying to stay away from the woods. "What about him?"

"I–I don't know yet. I just have this feeling. He's important, and I just had the feeling that I needed to share that with you. He will be very important to your future, I can see that much."

Apollo's eyes looked wild. He looked like he was on the verge of something big, but couldn't quite place his finger on it.

"So what are you trying to say?"

Apollo sighed in frustration. "I don't know. I just–look. Something big is tied to Peyton. It's the first thing I've sensed ever since Gaea has clouded the future. I think I've found a window into something Gaea didn't want me to see, but it was still clouded. All I saw was Peyton. Stay close to him; please remember that."

Apollo turned to leave. "Dad?"

"I'm sorry," he said, his expression pained. "I couldn't stay long. Just remember what I said, Kym." With that, Apollo opened the door and left without a goodbye.

Thinking back on that memory agitated me. I don't know why, but the center of my frustration was focused around Peyton. I remembered almost hating him the first few weeks he was around. It touched a raw nerve to think that the first time I've even met my dad, all he talked about was Peyton. He never even mentioned an "_I'm proud of your hard work," _or even gave a simple "_I love you, Kym_."

I brushed off the memory because it was only adding more stress to the situation. I probably wouldn't even be on this quest if it weren't for what Apollo told me. I might have resented him for not caring enough to say a little _How do you do? _every now and then, but I hated not knowing all the answers even more. If Peyton had a huge part to play in my future, I wanted to stick around and find out what it was.

After I finished packing, I grabbed my little waist pouch filled with healing supplies. "Duty calls", I said to myself, and headed downstairs towards the lobby.

-Peyton-

After I finished packing I glanced at the clock. Seven-oh-nine. Jack had been alone for almost two hours. I opened my room and headed out into the hallway. I passed Kym on the way to Jack's and I swore she scowled at me. Oh well, it wasn't the first time.

I stopped outside Jack's door and knocked. "Hello? Are you alright in there?"

A tall man in a navy bathrobe opened the door, not looking too pleased about being disturbed by the likes of me. "Problem, son?" he grumbled.

"Oh sorry", I apologized. "Wrong door."

"Yeah, whatever. Scram kid." He slammed the door in my face, leaving his rudeness hanging in the air. Ever since New York fell, many mortals sought refuge here in the Empire State Building. Many stayed here, convinced this was the last safe place on earth to stay. Others fled into the forest, having no idea of the terrors it concealed. Let's just say most of the mortals didn't take kindly to us. They saw us as freaks, and many blamed the collapse of civilization on us.

This time I made sure I had the right door. I could hear the buzz of a TV from inside the room. I gave a gentle knock on the door. "Jack? It's me, Peyton." After a few seconds of silence, I squinted through the peephole on the door and saw Jack slowly making his way to the door. He opened the door, not saying a word, and walked back into his room. I took that as a sign to come in, so I did. Jack's "room" looked like pretty much everyone else's. Technically, we really didn't have rooms. The Empire State Building wasn't designed to be a hotel, so we all crashed in the comfiest offices we could find. Anyway, Jack's room was pretty similar to mine. He had a large floor-to-ceiling window which normally would've been open. He had pushed the desk and cabinet against the wall in the corner in order to make more living space. Trash was overflowing from his standard office waste basket, and was strewn on the floor. Jack flopped on his couch, and stared at the TV. I wanted to talk to him, to comfort him, but I didn't want to bring up the task at hand. I wasn't sure how to comfort him without accidentally upsetting him. I took a seat next to him on the couch. "What're you watching?"

It took him an awkward couple of seconds to respond. "The static on the TV."

"What?" I turned and saw the weird mishmash of black, grey, and white flash across the screen erratically.

"The TV doesn't work", he explained. "I don't know why, but it calms me down. It reminds me of where I came from."

"I see." I was still awkwardly dancing around the real reason I wanted to come here, but I was still unsure how to bring up the subject without touching a raw nerve. Even though Jack clearly was upset, it seemed he had settled down just a notch. He seemed to be at terms with the quest and what could possibly happen to him.

We sat there together in silence for a moment, each of us uncertain what to say next. It was Jack who finally broke the silence. "Hey, about earlier…I just wanted to say thanks."

"For what?"

"You know. For standing up and being there for me."

"I meant it too, Jack." I looked him right in the eyes, and tasseled his hair playfully. "I will always be there for you bud, I promise."

Jack hung his head, shielding his face from my view. He wiped his nose with his sleeve and perked up. His eyes were still a little red and puffy, but their usual playful gleam had returned. "Alright, then. Can you help me get packed?"

I smiled, grateful that the old perky Jack was returning. "Sure thing, bud."

After I had helped Jack pack, I regretfully decided I had to sleep. I needed rest; there was no question about that. I was just worried that more nightmares would be ready to attack me as soon as my head hit the pillow. I warily closed my eyes, waiting for the worst.

At first, I didn't really know what was happening. It felt more like I was waking up from a daze than actually dreaming. It took awhile for the dream to focus, and when it did, the image still wasn't completely clear. Was Gaea messing with the dream? Was I about to see something I shouldn't? I looked around and I could vaguely gather that I was in a room. It was hard to distinguish particular shapes, but I saw light streaming in from a rectangle in the wall that I was pretty sure was a window.

"I'm counting on you", a female voice urged.

"But what if I'm not strong enough?"

"Quiet. You will do this for me." The voice commanded. If I squinted hard enough I could make out two shadowy figures huddled together on the floor, their backs to the wall.

"But–"

"No, son. It must be you. None of the others will do this. You will rise and become king." An icy feeling formed in the pit of my stomach. The female voice was commanding and soothing at the same time. It almost radiated power. There was something definitely familiar about that voice. I didn't like it.

"King? Me? But I am the youngest…" That voice sounded young and innocent. Whatever this kid's mother wanted him to do, it clearly unsettled him.

"You are the only one fit to rule as true king. You will lead us into a new era of true peace; an age that will last millennia!"

The other blurry shadow shifted uneasily. "None of this can happen if He is in my way", the kid's voice whined.

The taller of the two blurs rose and peeked out of the window. "Don't worry, son. With my help, He won't be around much longer." My heart hammered against my chest. Sweat beaded on my forehead. I _knew_ that voice. I definitely knew that voice. It was the voice that tormented me in my dreams. Why hadn't I recognized it earlier? I knew that calm and hate filled voice anywhere.

I turned my attention back on the conversation, but I couldn't hear anything. The dream became even fuzzier, as if it had bad connection or something. Then, everything went completely black. Signal loss, I guess.

I woke with someone hammering on the door. "It's open!" I groaned.

Kyle strode in, closing the door behind him as he came in. "You awake?"

"Am now", I replied irritably. I glanced at the clocked that hung on the wall. "Why did you want to talk to me at six thirty?" I already had an idea why he was here because I knew he wouldn't let something like that slide.

His answer confirmed my suspicions. "Oh, you know. Just wanted to talk about what happened earlier. You know, before you guys leave for the mission." He tried to make it sound casual, like two old buds having a regular conversation at six thirty in the morning. His chilling glare told me otherwise.

"What's there to talk about?"

A slow sinister smirk crept on his lips. "Don't play dumb with me. You got lucky; most of the others didn't hear what Porphyrion said over the roar of the crowd. But I did. Then again, maybe you didn't get so lucky." To emphasize his point, he drew a small curved dagger from his belt and began to polish it with his shirt, even though it was already flawless. He kept his cold calculating eyes fixed on me as he polished.

I only knew what Porphyrion was talking about was because of my earlier dream. Gaea had told me to deliver a message to the others, getting her message across through torment. And now Kyle suspected I was a traitor. I figured mentioning that I was having dreams with Gaea would only make things worse, so I decided to stick to the plan. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kyle gave me a dull glare that said, _We both know what really happened_.

I shrugged, hoping that my playing dumb act would get me through this.

Kyle abruptly launched the blade into the desk, with it landing an inch to the right of my arm. "Ok, fine. If you don't want to cooperate, then don't." Kyle rose leaving his blade embedded in the desk to emphasize his point. He got right in my face and I winced. "I don't know what you are and I don't care. The only reason I didn't say anything in front of the others earlier is because if there's one thing I know about you, it's that you do care about Jack. I don't believe that you would hurt him."

"Isn't that enough for you to trust me?"

"No", he snarled. "I would kill you if I had more solid proof, I hope you know that, Peyton. I let you go on this quest because if there is a chance that you're possibly a traitor, I don't want you anywhere near here. You're better off in the forest than staying here having me to deal with."

His eyes were alive with an intense fire. I could tell that if I said the wrong thing, he might snap and come at me with all sorts of deadly weapons. I didn't like my chances against fighting a killing machine like Kyle. I decided to do the smart thing and keep quiet. I watched Kyle's reflection in the blade as he strutted out, slamming the door on his way out.

-Jack-

After the three of us were all packed, we crowded together in the lobby by the door. A small group of demigods gathered around us wishing us the best of luck. Hugs were traded, farewells were spoken, and even some gifts were given.

Holly, a girl I had gotten to know pretty well over the last couple of months hunted me down. "Oh, Jack!"She called. She gently squeezed me from behind. The smell of her perfume lingered in my nose. Her brown locks curled around my shoulders.

"H-hey, Holly", I managed to choke out. I heard Peyton snicker and I decided I would pay him back later.

She withdrew and I turned around to face her. "I just wanted to give you this before you left. I know it isn't much but it's all I have."

She handed me a pink handheld mirror, which I hesitantly took. I looked at my reflection, and saw a short kid with wild brown hair starring back. "Uh, thanks Holly."

"It's a magic item, you know."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "How does it work?"

"It's like a two way communicator. I have the other matching mirror right here in my pocket. If you guys need anything, you can just use it to let us know!" Holly replied cheerfully.

"Thanks, Holly, that's so nice", Peyton butted in.

"No problem, guys. Good luck!" I watched her as she jogged up the stairs.

Peyton elbowed me in the ribs. "What?" I snapped.

"Dude, she's four years older than you."

"So?"

Peyton laughed, rubbing my hair and patting my backpack. "Kids", he said with a chuckle and walked away. I hate it when he does that.

Kym, Peyton, and I stood outside the edge of the tree line. Each of the trees before us easily looked centuries old; even though we all knew they were here no longer than a couple of months. I tried to look back at the Empire State Building for comfort before we plunged in but it was swallowed by the fog.

"After you", Peyton said, motioning for Kym to go first. She elbowed him in the ribs and snorted, taking the first steps into the forest. It helped a little knowing that Peyton was feeling just as nervous as I was. "You ready, Jack?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah", I lied.

"See you on the other side", Peyton said as we both strode into the unknown.


End file.
